To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed the entire object, paste this HTML in websiteTo link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed this page, paste this HTML in website

The Reporter. (Akron, Ohio), 1997-11-15

The Reporter. (Akron, Ohio), 1997-11-15 page 1

m i *" - i - NAACP Chairman Visit Akron sec Section B 1Police Brutality Reform See^page^A8J i |?t|e Reporter A Light In The Darkness Ijd 29 ^cars or Service To The Community Serving: ? Akron 'Canton 'Cleveland 'Columbus 'Elyrfta 'Lorain 'Mansfield 'Oberlin * Ravenna 'Sandusky 'Warren 'Youngstown *& Northeast Ohio VOL X> NOVEMBER >5,1997 TIIRU NOVEMBER 22,1997 SECTION A 25 CENTS PER COPY . I UNCF Fund Nite Winners Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity took 1 it place honors at the Annual UNCF Fund Nite Song Fcst at St. Joseph Party Center this past Friday November 7,1997. Soros os Delta Sigma Thcta Sorority won second place. Shown is Innocent Okolo president of Eta Tau Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Expecting a winning plaque from Gina Gaines of Total Health Date & Fred Gissandaner of UNCF co-chairperson. GM Drives Black Auto Dealers Out Of Business by Linn Washinglon. Jr. A While accounting supervisor for General '.'Motors waked into a Kansas City GM dealership, then owned by Richard Wallace and boldly declared that this "nigger won't be around much longer.' Wallace no longer owns the GM dealership and he blames discriminatoiy practices by officials at America's largest automobile manufacturer for the demise of his business Dan Barnes had owned a ford automobile dealership when he headed off to Detroit a few years ago with high hopes of fulfilling his dream of landing a General Motors auto dealership. With the experience in retail car sales management and available cash required for GM's Minority Dealership Development Program, Barnes seemed like a qualified candidate, but during his Motor City meeting, Barnes said he was "cursed out and shouted at "by a top GM executive who constantly referred to "you people..." Dan Barnes was denied a dealership yet he is lucky that he was just verbally assaulted. One black GM executive was beaten badly by a white GM counterpart a few years ago after he objected to racist treatment meted out to a Black dealer. This beating took place in the back scat of a car as three GM executives, including a Black man . were returning from a corporate meeting. Other Blacks who have participated in GM's Minority Dealer Development Program have been driven into bankruptcy by what they contend is GM's discriminatoiy financing support and racist consumer credit practises. "This is a story about racism. intimidation, coercion and abuse," notes Richard Wallace, a leading critic of CM's Minority Dealer Development Program.GM puts Black dealers in poor locations with too much debt and you're bound to fail," continued Wallace, in a recent NNPA interview."GM is a vicious beast... what they do to us is immoral at beat." However.GM spokesperson. Ed Lechtzin stresses that the company has a number of "successful [Black) dealers who are comfortable with the program." GM was the first auto maker to institute a Minority Dealer Development Program, yet an article published in a Gannettowned newspaper notes that GM has the smallest percentage of Black dealerships among the 'Big Three' manufacturers that include Ford and Chrysler. Only 1.3 percent of CM's 8,234 dealerships are Black-owned. Problems with CM's 25-year old Minority Dealer Development Program were detailed in the investigative article published by Gannett Suburban newspapers in West Chester County, NY. i nc arucie acscnoco lop cjm executives liberally using the 'Nword' and treating ftiany Black GM dealers in a discriminatory manner that included "an uneven level of financial support". The article on GM's minority program was written by Demetrius Patterson, the reporter who exposed the corporate racism at Texaco, including the infamous "N-word' tape recording.Patterson's article examined experiences of Black dealers across the country like Charles Bell, a former Alabama dealer, who won a multi-million dollar jury verdict after proving at trial that GM's consumer credit financing arm discriminated against his customers. The article reports on a $357 million lawsuit filed last year by suburban New York City dealer, Dick Gidron who alleges in part that GM did not provide him with subsidies comparable to the assistance given to white Cadillac dealers in his market area. GM's Minority Dealer Development Program is "littered with financial failures" the article noted, stating that the "dealers' grievances take many forms, ranging from an overall fear of retribution to an outright resentment of isolated racial epithets uttered by GM managers".GM, this past August , retained a law firm in Washington, D.C. to conduct a comprehensive review of the program, aimed at increasing the number of profitable minority dealers. "I congratulate GM on the effort to look at the program and make it the best it can be. No one in the industiy wants a revolving door type of situation," said Sheila Vaden-Williams, executive director of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD) The association is working with the law firm on the GM audit. However, Wallace contends that GM wont change its treatment of Black dealers until it feels "the heat of a Black community threat to not buy GM cars and GM parts". Too Many Children Living In Poverty by Herbert L. White Nearly two-thirds of AfricanAmerican children live in pos erty, according to a report from the Children's Defense Fund (CDF). The report, "Rescuing the American Dream: Halting the Economic Freefall Of Today's Young Families, ' showed that the median incom> of two-parent Black families has fallen by 46 percent in the las: 24 years. In 1973 the average Blacl family with children earned $19,153. A generation later, thifigure has fallen to $10,380 This puts 64 percent of African American children below tin government's official poverty line of $11,821 for a family of three. "The soaring poverty rates among young families who arc playing by the rules and work ing as hard as they can arc shocking," said CDF presiden Mariam Wright Edclman. "If ine fruits of economic growth had been shared equally amonf all families over the last 20 years, then the typical young family with children would have seen its income rise by 15 percent instead of falling by 33 percent. Strengthening the economic future of young families with children must become priority for every sector of society," she insisted The nose-dive in the mcd;a, ? income for young families wasn't limited to Black families. Whites families saw their median income drop 22 pcrceht while the Latino family's median income reflected a 28 percent decrease, the CDF report details. In fact, it further documents that in every region of the country 30-49 percent of children in young families are now poor Additionally, the poverty rate of children headed by full-time workers has tripled since 1973. The study saw a continued correlation between parental age and the rale of poverty. The relative hourly wage of workers "These (young) families in particular have experienced dwindling rewards for their labor. resulting from shrinking wages and vanishing health benefits from employers," said the report's author Arloc Sherman. as a result, grandparents arc bearing more of a support role for younger generations. The number of children living with grandparents as well as their own parents has doubled since 1970, reaching 2.5 million in 1995, the last year data was available. The study's finding also confirm that without the benefit of this "re-extended" family, the majority of these young families who returned home (59 percent) would have been living below the poverty line based on their incomes alone. "All sectors of society will share the long-term cost of this early poverty," Sherman said. "The private economy, in particular, is likely to suffer substantial productivity losses-reflected in lower quality of work, fewer goods and services produced and a loss of wages?as children grow to become less educated, less effective workers as a result of the poverty they experienced while living in a struggling family." Although divorce and single parent families contribute to children living in poverty, their role is overstated, according to the report. Five out of six poor children who live in young families would still be poor if American's marriage rates w ere as high as 20 years ago, it said. Moreover, the report cites evidence that rising economic distress contributes to broken familiesCommunity Development Advocates Plot Future Course More lhan 200 community development advocates, joined by local, state, and federal officials, will descend on Akron later this month to determine how best to build stronger inner cities across Ohio. The Nov. 20-21 conference, spearheaded by The Ohio Community Development Corporation (CDC) Association, will tackle a myriad of current issues facing community planncrs,including. wclfarc-towork; fueling small business growth; improving low-to moderate-income housing stock; afTordability of rental property; community reinvestment by financial institutions; techniques of community organizing, and more. The two-day conference at the Quaker Square Hilton, is organized around 20 workshops designed to facilitate discussion of these and other topics. It will feature several prominent luncheon speakers and workshop leaders, including: Cynthia A . Flaherty, director of the Colum bus Partnership Office of Fannie Mac: lrvin M. Henderson, president of North Carolina-based lrvin M Henderson & Co., a consulting frim that concentrates on the planning, analysis, financing and management of community projects; Martin Paul Johnson, executive director of Isles, Inc., a New Jersey non-profit that promotes community development programs fostering self-reliance, who also has been instrumental in developing a success measurement program for the Detroit-based Development Leadership Network; Wheeler R. Winstead, director of the African-American Religious Institutions Project for the National Congress on Community Economic Development. Also planned are day trips to sites in Alliance, Barberton, Canton, East Akron, and West Akron that focus on community development success stories related to multi-family housing, home repair, affordable rental housing, small business develI opment, and transitional hous ing foe recovering, chemicaldependent single women. "The Ohio CDC Association has been working for nearly 15 years to assist the state's nonprofit, community development corporations in their quest to revitalize neighborhoods," stated the association's executive director, Patricia Barnes "We expect this statewide conference to serve as a valuable catalyst for further improvements within low to moderate income communities in urban and rural Ohio." Besides Fannie Mae, federal and state agencies participating in the conference include: the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland; Ohio Department of Development; U.S. Department of Housing& Urban Development; Ohio Department of Human Services; Ohio Housing Finance Agency, and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.The Quaker Square Hilton is located at 135 South Broadway ' in downtown Akron. It is accessible from Interstates 71,76 and 77. Top Bowler by Lcc McCal! Waller Williams, who bowls in Ihc TNBA mixed Senate League at Charger Lanes on Tuesday night and at Rivcira Lanes on Saturday, carrys a 207 average. His high game to date is a 297. Williams shot a 718 series with a game of 258, 245, and 217. Walt is an avid bowler around the Akron circuit. Keep up the good stroking Walter as you strive for that elu, sive300^ame^^^^^^^^ THANKSGIVING DAY DINNER PLANNED The United Black Firefighters of Akron, Mayor Don Plusquellic and the Senior Workers' Action Program, Inc is once again sponsoring a Thanksgiving Dinner for adults who may be spending the holiday alone. The dinner will be hold on Thanlcsgiving Day, November 27,1997 at 11a.m. at a church in downtown Akron. Transportation assistanoe may be available, if needed, lb receive an invitation, please call 253-4J97 Ext 146 before November 19, 1997. COMPTON FIRST TO BAN ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO BILLBOARDS In October 1997, the Compton City Council passed an ordinance banning alcohol and tobacco advertising in most publicly visible locations, making it the first city in California to take such an action. Seven other communities, including Long Beach, Inglewood and the county of Los Angeles, have either passed or are considering passage of less restrictive ordinances which limited outdoor ads to within 500 to 1,500 feet of schools and churches. Compton's ordinance is the first to follow Baltimore and Chicago's action in actually banning such billboard advertising. Studies conducted by the Washington, D.C.- based Center for Science in the Public Interest show that the tobacco and alcohol industries not only target African- American and Latino communities, but the advs are more provocative and there arc more of th*m than in White communities. Black Women's Media Project launched the campaign to resrict the billboards in April 1996. It included several presentations to the Compton City Council, organizing a letter writing campaign with allied women's organizations, working with community volunteers and through churches to collect 500 letters of support from citizens. NUMBER OF YOUTH KILLED BY GUNS IS DECLINING Statistics released by the children's Defense Fund (CDF) showed that the number of U.S. children and teenagers killed by guns dropped in 199S, the first time since 1990, reported Education Week. The CDF said S.2S4 people age 19 and under were killed by guns in 1995, a decline of nearly 105 from 1994 and the smallest total since 1990. Reasons cited by the CDF include a decline in the U.S. Homicide rate as well as a decline in accidental deaths and "^DESIGNED U.S. $50 BILL ISSUED On Monday, October 27, the Federal Reserve began issuing redesigned Series 1996 $50 notes. The new bills, which will be widely available in banks and other depository institutions around the world in the coming weeks, incorporate new features to protect against counterfeiting and make U.S. currency easily identifiable to people with low vision. The Series 1996 $50 note follow the March 1996 introduction of the new redesigned 4100 note, and is part of an ongoing program to maintain the security of the nation's currency. The redesigned $20 note will be introduced next year. The redesigned $50 note and subsequent denominations will also include a large dark numeral on a light background on the back of the note. This will make it easier for mote than 3.7 million Anvmcans with milder forms of visual impairment as well as users in low -light situations to identify the currency. OHIO SCHOOLS TO BENEFIT FROM PC DONATIONS The Detwiler Foundation has announced that its Computers for Schools Program-the largest source of computer equipment for K12 schools in California, will soon expand to 34 states, including Ohio. The Computers for Schools Program "channels equipment, donated by local corporations or foundations, to schools repasts Fdnontion Daily. "The 21st Century Classrooms Act for Private Technology Investments lets companies claim a tax deduction an the foil purchase price of computers. For mote information call the Detwiler Foundation a 1 (TOO) 939- 6000 SCLC CO- FOUNDER'S SON ELECTED 4TH PRESIDENT Martin Luther King. III. born months after his father was chosen as the funding president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) , was unanimously elected president of the civil rights organization by the voting delegates from across the nation. King will succeed Dr. Joseph Lowery on Jan. 15th, his slain (alhers's 69th birthday. Lowery .a co- founder who has directs the organization for half its existence, succeeded Dr. Ralph Abemathy in 19977. In accepting his new role. King said he was "honored and humbled" by the great task before him and that he does not stand alone but" on the shoulders of two incredible parents." He also praised Lowery for having provided "tenacious and resilient leadership " for 20 years as president. THIRD ANNUAL NATIONAL PENNY RECYCLING CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY The third Annual National Penny Recycling Campaign began October I and continues through Dec. 31, 1997. Penny Lovers of America. Inc., a non- profit education and charitable organization, was formed in 1984 "to promote character, scholarship and patriotism among the nation's young people." The organization conducts the penny recycling campaign to raise scholarships funds for underprivileged and disadvantaged students struggling to get a college education. Grca Ncverson and Tcrcssa Jones are two students from Washington, D.C. public schools who were recently selected the first scholarship recipients. Each received an award of 610 pound of pennies or $1,000. Secondly, pennies are collected to help alleviate the Penny shortage" plaguing many financial institutions . merchants and retail establishments. A national goal of one million pounds of pennies has been established for this campaign. For more information call (732) 873-3827. INTERNET THREATENS TRINIDAD'S POSTAL SERVICE Pott of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (IPS)- The advent of the Internet is blamed for the diminishing importance of Trinidad's postal service. For years , inadequate facilities, poorly managed operations, and decreasing revenues have contributed to serious problems in the service. Now, with declining computer prices and greater Internet access- a situation fueled by keen competition among computer companies and Internet service providers- the postal service is facing an unprecedented challenge. Consumers arc finding that e- mail and private delivery services such as DHL International, Federal Express, and United Parcel International are faster, more reliable, and in the case of e- mail cheaper. For instance, it cost a Trinidadian 50 cents to mail a letter to the United states, and 42 cents throughout the Caribbean. But depending on the usage, spending an c- mail message could be a fraction of that, as on average about $11 per month for Internet services of up to 10 hours. The postal service employs close to 1,300 persons and spends about $8 million annually, more than 75 percent on wages and salaries In turn, it earns under $6 million, a figure which even with recent postage increases is declining, by Wesley Gibbings ZAMBIA'S TEENAGE PREGNANCIES BECOMING A PROBLEM Lusaka, Zambia (AIA/GIN) - A United Nations study on teenage pregnancies in Zambia estimates that two-thirds of Zambian women have either had children or are pregnant by the time they are 19. The study says teenage pregnancies contribute significantly to the high fertility rate of 6.5 children per women. The Zambian government has said that it hopes to reduce the fertility rate to 5.4 by the year 2000, but the U.N. has said this it hopes to reduce the fertility rate is taken to educate people on birth control and family planning. The report said that under Zambia's present conditions of widespread poverty, fertility rates were unlikely to decline "Experience from other countries suggests that the improvement of people's economic well being is usually the major factor in lower- i ing of fertility rates,'the report says <1 i "Buy A Coin, Help Build A Memorial," by John Undeland October 22 ? The quest to build a memorial to African American heroes of the Revolutionary War gained momentum as the Black Patriots Foundation hosted a dramatic Capitol Hill unveiling of the Black Revolutionary War Patriots Commemorative Coin. But supporters stressed that continuing that momentum depends on strong public response to their appeal for coin sales. Pail of the proceeds from coin sales arc earmarked by legislation to help build the Black Patriots Memorial - a point underscored by a number of speakers.nuy me coin ana neip ouna the memorial," said C. Payne Lucas, president of Africare "Everyone who buys the Black Patriots Coin will be preserving our shared history. And African Americans who purchase coins will be making a personal investment in our people's history and our children's future." Added rcnowed actor Ossie Davis: "These simple but elegant coins will help educate Americans like no coin before it. And when we've built this Memorial, generations forever into the future will know that African Americans also played a significant role in the founding of this country" The Black Patriots Foundaion is dedicated to building a ncmorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC to honor more than, 5,000 men, women, and children who served in the Revolutionary War ~ a littleknown but significant chapter of American history. Scenes depicted in the 90-foot long bronze memorial will graphically tell the story of how African Americans served to help bring about America's independence. Supporters say the Black Patriots Memorial, by showing that America was founded by black and whites alike, will be a beacon of racial reconciliation and education. The packed-room Capitol Hill ceremony featured eloquent and passionate remarks by luminaries of the aits, entertainment and political worlds. Distinguished guests included Davis, Representatives Nancy Johnson (RCT) and Don Payne (D-NJ), Treasurer of the United States Mary Ellen Withrow, Black Patriots Memorial and Coin designer Ed Dwight, representatives of the Black Patriots Foundation, and other dignitaries But the unveiling of the coin stole the show. Treasurer Withrow ? her signature on US currency - dramatically pulled back the twin curtains to reveal the designs of both sides of the coin Joining her for the unveiling were Black Patriots Foundation Co-Chairs Margaret Johnston and Joanne Jones. CONTINUED TO PAGE A8

m i *" - i - NAACP Chairman Visit Akron sec Section B 1Police Brutality Reform See^page^A8J i |?t|e Reporter A Light In The Darkness Ijd 29 ^cars or Service To The Community Serving: ? Akron 'Canton 'Cleveland 'Columbus 'Elyrfta 'Lorain 'Mansfield 'Oberlin * Ravenna 'Sandusky 'Warren 'Youngstown *& Northeast Ohio VOL X> NOVEMBER >5,1997 TIIRU NOVEMBER 22,1997 SECTION A 25 CENTS PER COPY . I UNCF Fund Nite Winners Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity took 1 it place honors at the Annual UNCF Fund Nite Song Fcst at St. Joseph Party Center this past Friday November 7,1997. Soros os Delta Sigma Thcta Sorority won second place. Shown is Innocent Okolo president of Eta Tau Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Expecting a winning plaque from Gina Gaines of Total Health Date & Fred Gissandaner of UNCF co-chairperson. GM Drives Black Auto Dealers Out Of Business by Linn Washinglon. Jr. A While accounting supervisor for General '.'Motors waked into a Kansas City GM dealership, then owned by Richard Wallace and boldly declared that this "nigger won't be around much longer.' Wallace no longer owns the GM dealership and he blames discriminatoiy practices by officials at America's largest automobile manufacturer for the demise of his business Dan Barnes had owned a ford automobile dealership when he headed off to Detroit a few years ago with high hopes of fulfilling his dream of landing a General Motors auto dealership. With the experience in retail car sales management and available cash required for GM's Minority Dealership Development Program, Barnes seemed like a qualified candidate, but during his Motor City meeting, Barnes said he was "cursed out and shouted at "by a top GM executive who constantly referred to "you people..." Dan Barnes was denied a dealership yet he is lucky that he was just verbally assaulted. One black GM executive was beaten badly by a white GM counterpart a few years ago after he objected to racist treatment meted out to a Black dealer. This beating took place in the back scat of a car as three GM executives, including a Black man . were returning from a corporate meeting. Other Blacks who have participated in GM's Minority Dealer Development Program have been driven into bankruptcy by what they contend is GM's discriminatoiy financing support and racist consumer credit practises. "This is a story about racism. intimidation, coercion and abuse," notes Richard Wallace, a leading critic of CM's Minority Dealer Development Program.GM puts Black dealers in poor locations with too much debt and you're bound to fail," continued Wallace, in a recent NNPA interview."GM is a vicious beast... what they do to us is immoral at beat." However.GM spokesperson. Ed Lechtzin stresses that the company has a number of "successful [Black) dealers who are comfortable with the program." GM was the first auto maker to institute a Minority Dealer Development Program, yet an article published in a Gannettowned newspaper notes that GM has the smallest percentage of Black dealerships among the 'Big Three' manufacturers that include Ford and Chrysler. Only 1.3 percent of CM's 8,234 dealerships are Black-owned. Problems with CM's 25-year old Minority Dealer Development Program were detailed in the investigative article published by Gannett Suburban newspapers in West Chester County, NY. i nc arucie acscnoco lop cjm executives liberally using the 'Nword' and treating ftiany Black GM dealers in a discriminatory manner that included "an uneven level of financial support". The article on GM's minority program was written by Demetrius Patterson, the reporter who exposed the corporate racism at Texaco, including the infamous "N-word' tape recording.Patterson's article examined experiences of Black dealers across the country like Charles Bell, a former Alabama dealer, who won a multi-million dollar jury verdict after proving at trial that GM's consumer credit financing arm discriminated against his customers. The article reports on a $357 million lawsuit filed last year by suburban New York City dealer, Dick Gidron who alleges in part that GM did not provide him with subsidies comparable to the assistance given to white Cadillac dealers in his market area. GM's Minority Dealer Development Program is "littered with financial failures" the article noted, stating that the "dealers' grievances take many forms, ranging from an overall fear of retribution to an outright resentment of isolated racial epithets uttered by GM managers".GM, this past August , retained a law firm in Washington, D.C. to conduct a comprehensive review of the program, aimed at increasing the number of profitable minority dealers. "I congratulate GM on the effort to look at the program and make it the best it can be. No one in the industiy wants a revolving door type of situation," said Sheila Vaden-Williams, executive director of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD) The association is working with the law firm on the GM audit. However, Wallace contends that GM wont change its treatment of Black dealers until it feels "the heat of a Black community threat to not buy GM cars and GM parts". Too Many Children Living In Poverty by Herbert L. White Nearly two-thirds of AfricanAmerican children live in pos erty, according to a report from the Children's Defense Fund (CDF). The report, "Rescuing the American Dream: Halting the Economic Freefall Of Today's Young Families, ' showed that the median incom> of two-parent Black families has fallen by 46 percent in the las: 24 years. In 1973 the average Blacl family with children earned $19,153. A generation later, thifigure has fallen to $10,380 This puts 64 percent of African American children below tin government's official poverty line of $11,821 for a family of three. "The soaring poverty rates among young families who arc playing by the rules and work ing as hard as they can arc shocking," said CDF presiden Mariam Wright Edclman. "If ine fruits of economic growth had been shared equally amonf all families over the last 20 years, then the typical young family with children would have seen its income rise by 15 percent instead of falling by 33 percent. Strengthening the economic future of young families with children must become priority for every sector of society," she insisted The nose-dive in the mcd;a, ? income for young families wasn't limited to Black families. Whites families saw their median income drop 22 pcrceht while the Latino family's median income reflected a 28 percent decrease, the CDF report details. In fact, it further documents that in every region of the country 30-49 percent of children in young families are now poor Additionally, the poverty rate of children headed by full-time workers has tripled since 1973. The study saw a continued correlation between parental age and the rale of poverty. The relative hourly wage of workers "These (young) families in particular have experienced dwindling rewards for their labor. resulting from shrinking wages and vanishing health benefits from employers," said the report's author Arloc Sherman. as a result, grandparents arc bearing more of a support role for younger generations. The number of children living with grandparents as well as their own parents has doubled since 1970, reaching 2.5 million in 1995, the last year data was available. The study's finding also confirm that without the benefit of this "re-extended" family, the majority of these young families who returned home (59 percent) would have been living below the poverty line based on their incomes alone. "All sectors of society will share the long-term cost of this early poverty," Sherman said. "The private economy, in particular, is likely to suffer substantial productivity losses-reflected in lower quality of work, fewer goods and services produced and a loss of wages?as children grow to become less educated, less effective workers as a result of the poverty they experienced while living in a struggling family." Although divorce and single parent families contribute to children living in poverty, their role is overstated, according to the report. Five out of six poor children who live in young families would still be poor if American's marriage rates w ere as high as 20 years ago, it said. Moreover, the report cites evidence that rising economic distress contributes to broken familiesCommunity Development Advocates Plot Future Course More lhan 200 community development advocates, joined by local, state, and federal officials, will descend on Akron later this month to determine how best to build stronger inner cities across Ohio. The Nov. 20-21 conference, spearheaded by The Ohio Community Development Corporation (CDC) Association, will tackle a myriad of current issues facing community planncrs,including. wclfarc-towork; fueling small business growth; improving low-to moderate-income housing stock; afTordability of rental property; community reinvestment by financial institutions; techniques of community organizing, and more. The two-day conference at the Quaker Square Hilton, is organized around 20 workshops designed to facilitate discussion of these and other topics. It will feature several prominent luncheon speakers and workshop leaders, including: Cynthia A . Flaherty, director of the Colum bus Partnership Office of Fannie Mac: lrvin M. Henderson, president of North Carolina-based lrvin M Henderson & Co., a consulting frim that concentrates on the planning, analysis, financing and management of community projects; Martin Paul Johnson, executive director of Isles, Inc., a New Jersey non-profit that promotes community development programs fostering self-reliance, who also has been instrumental in developing a success measurement program for the Detroit-based Development Leadership Network; Wheeler R. Winstead, director of the African-American Religious Institutions Project for the National Congress on Community Economic Development. Also planned are day trips to sites in Alliance, Barberton, Canton, East Akron, and West Akron that focus on community development success stories related to multi-family housing, home repair, affordable rental housing, small business develI opment, and transitional hous ing foe recovering, chemicaldependent single women. "The Ohio CDC Association has been working for nearly 15 years to assist the state's nonprofit, community development corporations in their quest to revitalize neighborhoods," stated the association's executive director, Patricia Barnes "We expect this statewide conference to serve as a valuable catalyst for further improvements within low to moderate income communities in urban and rural Ohio." Besides Fannie Mae, federal and state agencies participating in the conference include: the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland; Ohio Department of Development; U.S. Department of Housing& Urban Development; Ohio Department of Human Services; Ohio Housing Finance Agency, and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.The Quaker Square Hilton is located at 135 South Broadway ' in downtown Akron. It is accessible from Interstates 71,76 and 77. Top Bowler by Lcc McCal! Waller Williams, who bowls in Ihc TNBA mixed Senate League at Charger Lanes on Tuesday night and at Rivcira Lanes on Saturday, carrys a 207 average. His high game to date is a 297. Williams shot a 718 series with a game of 258, 245, and 217. Walt is an avid bowler around the Akron circuit. Keep up the good stroking Walter as you strive for that elu, sive300^ame^^^^^^^^ THANKSGIVING DAY DINNER PLANNED The United Black Firefighters of Akron, Mayor Don Plusquellic and the Senior Workers' Action Program, Inc is once again sponsoring a Thanksgiving Dinner for adults who may be spending the holiday alone. The dinner will be hold on Thanlcsgiving Day, November 27,1997 at 11a.m. at a church in downtown Akron. Transportation assistanoe may be available, if needed, lb receive an invitation, please call 253-4J97 Ext 146 before November 19, 1997. COMPTON FIRST TO BAN ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO BILLBOARDS In October 1997, the Compton City Council passed an ordinance banning alcohol and tobacco advertising in most publicly visible locations, making it the first city in California to take such an action. Seven other communities, including Long Beach, Inglewood and the county of Los Angeles, have either passed or are considering passage of less restrictive ordinances which limited outdoor ads to within 500 to 1,500 feet of schools and churches. Compton's ordinance is the first to follow Baltimore and Chicago's action in actually banning such billboard advertising. Studies conducted by the Washington, D.C.- based Center for Science in the Public Interest show that the tobacco and alcohol industries not only target African- American and Latino communities, but the advs are more provocative and there arc more of th*m than in White communities. Black Women's Media Project launched the campaign to resrict the billboards in April 1996. It included several presentations to the Compton City Council, organizing a letter writing campaign with allied women's organizations, working with community volunteers and through churches to collect 500 letters of support from citizens. NUMBER OF YOUTH KILLED BY GUNS IS DECLINING Statistics released by the children's Defense Fund (CDF) showed that the number of U.S. children and teenagers killed by guns dropped in 199S, the first time since 1990, reported Education Week. The CDF said S.2S4 people age 19 and under were killed by guns in 1995, a decline of nearly 105 from 1994 and the smallest total since 1990. Reasons cited by the CDF include a decline in the U.S. Homicide rate as well as a decline in accidental deaths and "^DESIGNED U.S. $50 BILL ISSUED On Monday, October 27, the Federal Reserve began issuing redesigned Series 1996 $50 notes. The new bills, which will be widely available in banks and other depository institutions around the world in the coming weeks, incorporate new features to protect against counterfeiting and make U.S. currency easily identifiable to people with low vision. The Series 1996 $50 note follow the March 1996 introduction of the new redesigned 4100 note, and is part of an ongoing program to maintain the security of the nation's currency. The redesigned $20 note will be introduced next year. The redesigned $50 note and subsequent denominations will also include a large dark numeral on a light background on the back of the note. This will make it easier for mote than 3.7 million Anvmcans with milder forms of visual impairment as well as users in low -light situations to identify the currency. OHIO SCHOOLS TO BENEFIT FROM PC DONATIONS The Detwiler Foundation has announced that its Computers for Schools Program-the largest source of computer equipment for K12 schools in California, will soon expand to 34 states, including Ohio. The Computers for Schools Program "channels equipment, donated by local corporations or foundations, to schools repasts Fdnontion Daily. "The 21st Century Classrooms Act for Private Technology Investments lets companies claim a tax deduction an the foil purchase price of computers. For mote information call the Detwiler Foundation a 1 (TOO) 939- 6000 SCLC CO- FOUNDER'S SON ELECTED 4TH PRESIDENT Martin Luther King. III. born months after his father was chosen as the funding president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) , was unanimously elected president of the civil rights organization by the voting delegates from across the nation. King will succeed Dr. Joseph Lowery on Jan. 15th, his slain (alhers's 69th birthday. Lowery .a co- founder who has directs the organization for half its existence, succeeded Dr. Ralph Abemathy in 19977. In accepting his new role. King said he was "honored and humbled" by the great task before him and that he does not stand alone but" on the shoulders of two incredible parents." He also praised Lowery for having provided "tenacious and resilient leadership " for 20 years as president. THIRD ANNUAL NATIONAL PENNY RECYCLING CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY The third Annual National Penny Recycling Campaign began October I and continues through Dec. 31, 1997. Penny Lovers of America. Inc., a non- profit education and charitable organization, was formed in 1984 "to promote character, scholarship and patriotism among the nation's young people." The organization conducts the penny recycling campaign to raise scholarships funds for underprivileged and disadvantaged students struggling to get a college education. Grca Ncverson and Tcrcssa Jones are two students from Washington, D.C. public schools who were recently selected the first scholarship recipients. Each received an award of 610 pound of pennies or $1,000. Secondly, pennies are collected to help alleviate the Penny shortage" plaguing many financial institutions . merchants and retail establishments. A national goal of one million pounds of pennies has been established for this campaign. For more information call (732) 873-3827. INTERNET THREATENS TRINIDAD'S POSTAL SERVICE Pott of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (IPS)- The advent of the Internet is blamed for the diminishing importance of Trinidad's postal service. For years , inadequate facilities, poorly managed operations, and decreasing revenues have contributed to serious problems in the service. Now, with declining computer prices and greater Internet access- a situation fueled by keen competition among computer companies and Internet service providers- the postal service is facing an unprecedented challenge. Consumers arc finding that e- mail and private delivery services such as DHL International, Federal Express, and United Parcel International are faster, more reliable, and in the case of e- mail cheaper. For instance, it cost a Trinidadian 50 cents to mail a letter to the United states, and 42 cents throughout the Caribbean. But depending on the usage, spending an c- mail message could be a fraction of that, as on average about $11 per month for Internet services of up to 10 hours. The postal service employs close to 1,300 persons and spends about $8 million annually, more than 75 percent on wages and salaries In turn, it earns under $6 million, a figure which even with recent postage increases is declining, by Wesley Gibbings ZAMBIA'S TEENAGE PREGNANCIES BECOMING A PROBLEM Lusaka, Zambia (AIA/GIN) - A United Nations study on teenage pregnancies in Zambia estimates that two-thirds of Zambian women have either had children or are pregnant by the time they are 19. The study says teenage pregnancies contribute significantly to the high fertility rate of 6.5 children per women. The Zambian government has said that it hopes to reduce the fertility rate to 5.4 by the year 2000, but the U.N. has said this it hopes to reduce the fertility rate is taken to educate people on birth control and family planning. The report said that under Zambia's present conditions of widespread poverty, fertility rates were unlikely to decline "Experience from other countries suggests that the improvement of people's economic well being is usually the major factor in lower- i ing of fertility rates,'the report says <1 i "Buy A Coin, Help Build A Memorial," by John Undeland October 22 ? The quest to build a memorial to African American heroes of the Revolutionary War gained momentum as the Black Patriots Foundation hosted a dramatic Capitol Hill unveiling of the Black Revolutionary War Patriots Commemorative Coin. But supporters stressed that continuing that momentum depends on strong public response to their appeal for coin sales. Pail of the proceeds from coin sales arc earmarked by legislation to help build the Black Patriots Memorial - a point underscored by a number of speakers.nuy me coin ana neip ouna the memorial," said C. Payne Lucas, president of Africare "Everyone who buys the Black Patriots Coin will be preserving our shared history. And African Americans who purchase coins will be making a personal investment in our people's history and our children's future." Added rcnowed actor Ossie Davis: "These simple but elegant coins will help educate Americans like no coin before it. And when we've built this Memorial, generations forever into the future will know that African Americans also played a significant role in the founding of this country" The Black Patriots Foundaion is dedicated to building a ncmorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC to honor more than, 5,000 men, women, and children who served in the Revolutionary War ~ a littleknown but significant chapter of American history. Scenes depicted in the 90-foot long bronze memorial will graphically tell the story of how African Americans served to help bring about America's independence. Supporters say the Black Patriots Memorial, by showing that America was founded by black and whites alike, will be a beacon of racial reconciliation and education. The packed-room Capitol Hill ceremony featured eloquent and passionate remarks by luminaries of the aits, entertainment and political worlds. Distinguished guests included Davis, Representatives Nancy Johnson (RCT) and Don Payne (D-NJ), Treasurer of the United States Mary Ellen Withrow, Black Patriots Memorial and Coin designer Ed Dwight, representatives of the Black Patriots Foundation, and other dignitaries But the unveiling of the coin stole the show. Treasurer Withrow ? her signature on US currency - dramatically pulled back the twin curtains to reveal the designs of both sides of the coin Joining her for the unveiling were Black Patriots Foundation Co-Chairs Margaret Johnston and Joanne Jones. CONTINUED TO PAGE A8